MOT comparison

SEAT Ibiza Mk3 vs Volkswagen Polo Mk4

How the SEAT Ibiza Mk3 (6L) (2002–2008) and the Volkswagen Polo Mk4 (9N/9N3) (2001–2009) do at their MOTs, compared at the same mileage so a high-mileage car is never measured against a low-mileage one.

SEAT Ibiza Mk3 (6L)

980,361

MOT tests compared · built 2002–2008

Passes more often in 5 of 15 mileage bands

Volkswagen Polo Mk4 (9N/9N3)

4,319,413

MOT tests compared · built 2001–2009

Passes more often in 1 of 15 mileage bands

MOT pass rate by mileage

Share of MOTs passed first time, at the mileage recorded at the test.

SEAT Ibiza Mk3 Volkswagen Polo Mk4

Under 10,000 miles 90.1% vs 91.1%

8,369 and 68,682 MOTs

10,000–20,000 miles 86.5% vs 87.1%

46,036 and 273,394 MOTs

20,000–30,000 miles 80.8% vs 81.4%

84,209 and 421,330 MOTs

30,000–40,000 miles 74.4% vs 75.0%

100,901 and 465,971 MOTs

40,000–50,000 miles 68.0% vs 68.5%

106,058 and 464,226 MOTs

50,000–60,000 miles 62.3% vs 62.8%

105,220 and 446,460 MOTs

60,000–70,000 miles 57.3% vs 57.9%

101,396 and 417,801 MOTs

70,000–80,000 miles 53.4% vs 53.9%

94,315 and 381,065 MOTs

80,000–90,000 miles 50.4% vs 50.6%

83,610 and 335,179 MOTs

90,000–100,000 miles 48.1% vs 47.9%

70,596 and 281,957 MOTs

100,000–125,000 miles 46.2% vs 45.1%

112,401 and 460,747 MOTs

125,000–150,000 miles 45.2% vs 43.3%

45,287 and 199,628 MOTs

150,000–175,000 miles 46.5% vs 42.8%

15,297 and 70,667 MOTs

175,000–200,000 miles 46.2% vs 43.0%

4,737 and 22,761 MOTs

200,000–250,000 miles 47.3% vs 44.9%

1,929 and 9,545 MOTs

Parts that fail more often

Only differences that hold across at least half of the mileage bands we could compare, and that are far too large to be chance, are listed. How we decide

SEAT Ibiza Mk3 fails more often on

Stop lamp

Fails about twice as often as the Volkswagen Polo Mk4: 5.3% of MOTs against 3.0%.

In 12 of 15 mileage bands · Lights & Signals
Front brake disc

Fails about twice as often as the Volkswagen Polo Mk4: 0.72% of MOTs against 0.39%.

In 8 of 15 mileage bands · Braking System

Volkswagen Polo Mk4 fails more often on

Rear direction indicator

Fails over 20 times as often as the SEAT Ibiza Mk3: 2.2% of MOTs against 0.10%.

In 14 of 15 mileage bands · Lights & Signals
Side repeater

Fails about 5 times as often as the SEAT Ibiza Mk3: 1.5% of MOTs against 0.31%.

In 13 of 15 mileage bands

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These are differences in real MOT results, not engineering verdicts. Owner mix differs between models (some are more often taxis, first cars or rural cars), which is why every figure compares cars at the same mileage. How we compare cars.

MOT records: DVSA MOT history, which contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. See this the other way round.